Kenenisa Bekele wins the 5000m in Birmingham in a world indoor record (© Getty Images)
Athletics' hottest young star Kenenisa Bekele is to make his first outdoor UK track appearance in Gateshead at the IAAF Super Grand Prix this summer, at the scene of local hero Brendan Foster’s 3000m World record 30 years ago.
Bekele, who announced his arrival on the big stage with 10,000m gold at last year’s World Championships, will follow in the footsteps of Foster over 3000m at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix on June 27.
The current World record over the distance, Daniel Komen’s 7:20.67 in 1996, is considered one of the hardest of any of the track records to break, and may be beyond Bekele this early in his career.
However, the Ethiopian, who set a world record over 5000m during his first indoor race in this country in February, is relishing the thought of visiting one of the established homes of the sport.
Bekele said: “The British meets are so well respected on the athletics circuit given the history, the crowds and the traditionally strong fields that they attract.
“Gateshead is such a well-known venue and the ideal place for me to make my first ever outdoor track appearance in Britain.”
Foster set his world record of 7:35.10 at Gateshead International Stadium in 1974, while Bekele’s best for the distance stands at 7:30.67.
Bekele is already being touted as the natural successor to fellow countryman and track legend Haile Gebrselassie, and is expected to eventually challenge all of the world records in distance running.
In Gateshead he will come up against Saif Saaeed Shaheen who shifted allegiances to Qatar before winning the World 3000m Steeplechase gold medal at the World Championships.
Shaheen had previously won gold in the same event at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 while competing as Stephen Cherono for Kenya.